Japan has had a profound impact on my adult life. I first went there as a young soldier in the mid 50s and new right away that I was going to like it. I met and married my wife of more than 40 years during that time. During the 40 plus years of marriage we've visited Japan numerous times as well as having lived and worked there. The natural beauty of the country, as well as the culture and customs, have truly fascinated me over the years. We've traveled throughout the country and in the process of doing so have visited all 47 of Japan's prefectures. I never tire of visiting Japan's landscape gardens and have visited gardens throughout the country which is the reason for the Japanese Garden directory elsewhere in my web site. But there are other aspects of Japan that I like a great deal. I enjoy the beautiful seascapes, the old castles, the temples and shrines, and some of the onsen resorts. Bonsai are exquisite and, when properly done, the tea ceremony is marvelous.
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..................................................... Scene at Heian Shrine, Kyoto
I like the trains a great deal and am truly amazed at their punctuality. The Shinkansen, or the "Bullet Train", is an amazing rail system, but there are other excellent rail systems. I think my favorite, after the Shinkansen, is the Red Express which serves the southern island of Kyushu. In the process of using the rail systems we've seen some beautiful sites.
Mt. Fuji
Much has been said and written, in the form of both prose and poetry, about Japan's most recognized sight, Fuji-san. I've camped at it's base as a young American GI years ago, have been up it well beyond where one can go by auto, have been most of the way around it by car, have passed it numerous times on the train, and have seen it from the air, and I always have to take a photo thinking this one will be better than the others. It's a spectacular sight!
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There are beautiful views and sights throughout the country, whether it be coastal scenes, looking down on a city from a mountain top, day or night, viewing the aewsome power of an active volcano, enjoying the beauty and serenity of an ancient temple or shrine, or whatever, visitors will find much to enjoy.
Hakodate ............. 
.... Matsushima
. 
Nagasaki harbor .. 
... Ama no hashi date ... 
Sakurajima .. 
.....Shimogamo
Shrine ...
As one travels through the country the old castles are fantastic. Most were built between the 14th and 17th centuries as military fortifications. They were surrounded by high stone walls and moats. Many are on hilltops to provide additional protection and good observation. Today most are museums, but are still very imposing. The following are some that I have visited.
Himeji ....................... 
....... Matsue
... 
Kochi ........................ 
................................ Osaka ......... 
Aizu Wakamatsu ..... 
.......HHikone ...... 
We were in Japan in early March 2003 and traveled into the Japan Alps to visit Matsumoto and Takayama and found it to still winter in both cities, so there were few tourists and the snow was beautiful. I found Matsumoto Castle to be one of my favorites, especially with the snow
Matsumoto .............. 
I went to Japan for the first time almost a half century ago and 2003 was my first first visit to Takayama. I wonder why it took so long as it's a really nice city filled with much to see and surrounded by beautiful mountains. We spent most of our time in the Old Hida Town area, a centuries-old section of the city filled with marvelous old wooden buildings and in Hida Village. Many of structures in both areas have been designated as national treasurers.
Old Hida Town .......
.......... Hida
Village .... 
But one can't talk about Japan long without talking about Kyoto. As Japan's capital for more than a thousand years, it has a rich heritige. It's the heart of Japanese culture and customs and is one of the world's most historical cities. Kyoto, like most Japanese cities, is not an architecturally beautiful city. Like most Japanese cities, there seems to be no building codes as we know them. But the narrow streets with the centuries-old wooden building literally at the street's edge hold a real fasination for me. And along these narrow streets are some incredibly beautiful places. If you've visited a web page about Kyoto you've probably seen many of the well-known temples, shrines, and gardens. Please come with me as we tour some of the lesser known, but equally beautiful places.
Shisen-do ........................... 
...........Yoshimine-dera
... 
Jonangu ............................. 
............... Tenryu-ji
........ 
Sambo-in ........................... 
... .......... Toji
Temple .... 
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